Bridlington to stage NEVZA Youth Beach Volleyball Championships 2024

Four competitions will be held across two age categories – U18 Girls, U18 Boys, U20 Girls and U20 Boys – between Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th June. 

A maximum of 16 teams will be permitted to enter each competition in the North Yorkshire seaside resort, with federations able to apply for multiple entries. 

All NEVZA member countries – Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland – are being invited to join England in attending the event. 

Teams will initially play in a pool format before advancing to an elimination phase, meaning each will play at least five matches. 

“We’ve been working hard as an organisation to bring an international beach tournament to England over the past 12 months to 18 months, so we’re thrilled that we’ll be welcoming young players from across the NEVZA region this summer,” said Charlie Ford, Chief Executive Officer of Volleyball England. 

“I’m sure our young players will love rubbing shoulders with some of the best emerging talent from overseas, pushing themselves hard to see how they measure up. 

“They are also sure to enjoy having home advantage, which doesn’t happen all that often, so hopefully the crowds can come out to support them, as well as all the countries competing.” 

England last hosted a NEVZA event in 2018 when the NEVZA U17 and U19 Championships (indoor) were contested at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering. 

Prior to that, the NEVZA Senior Beach Volleyball Championships were held in Bournemouth in 2016. 

NEVZA General secretary, Simon Dahl, added: “We are very happy and grateful to have Volleyball England hosting the NEVZA U20 and U18 Beach Volleyball Championships for boys and girls as the first edition after the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

“I’m sure that our young players are eager to compete for the titles, will value the experience of playing international teams and will bring us exciting matches.” 

The event is being hosted with support from Skyball Beach Volleyball Club, which is based in Bridlington. 

The club regularly hosts UK Beach Tour events each summer and will stage the Yorkshire Series and Four-Star Northern Open this year. 

“We can’t wait to help host these championships in Bridlington, where interest has been steadily building in the sport of beach volleyball,” said Pete Makowski, co-founder of Skyball and Lead Coach at The Gorse Academies Trust. 

“By bringing this event to Yorkshire, hopefully it will help to inspire a new generation of players and supporters, both in the local area and beyond.”  

Details on how players from NEVZA countries can enter the event will be released to relevant federation contacts shortly.